Exercise "User Stories, Epics, Product Backlog Items"
Summary¶
Here you will find the definitions of the most important terms from this chapter.
INVEST criteria¶
INVEST criteria are guidelines for good requirements in projects. They stand for independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, short, and testable.
Three Cs¶
Three Cs stand for card, conversation, and confirmation. They are a model for structuring and communicating requirements in agile projects.
CTF-criteria¶
- Clear
- Testable
- Feasible
Agile estimation¶
Agile estimation is a method for relatively estimating the effort involved in various entries in the product backlog. These estimates are often made in the form of story points or similar metrics and are typically carried out within the team.
Definition of Ready¶
The Definition of Ready, abbreviated as DoR, refers to the criteria that a Product Backlog Item must meet to be worked on in the next Sprint. This includes, for example, that the Developers understand what the item involves or that it meets the INVEST criteria.
Story points¶
Story Points are a relative unit of measurement in agile project development that assesses the effort or complexity of a task or feature. They are not directly linked to a specific time period, but serve to establish a comparison between different tasks in terms of their difficulty.
Planning poker¶
In this agile estimation technique, team members assess the effort required for User Stories. They use playing cards with numerical values to estimate the complexity or effort of the work in an abstract form without referring to costs or time aspects. The individual User Stories are therefore evaluated in relation to each other. This method encourages discussion within the team and helps to obtain realistic estimates of the work involved.
Test yourself¶
Try to answer the following questions on your own. Take your time and think carefully before checking the solutions.
What are the contents of User Stories?
A User Story contains information about role (who?), function (what?) and business value (why?). When formulating a User Story, the following sentence should be completed with the role the user plays, the functionality expected from the User Story and the business value contribution:
As ... I would ..., so that ...
What does Definition of Ready mean?
The Definition of Ready (DoR) indicates that tasks or User Stories listed at the top of the Product Backlog must be described in such a way that they are understood by the Developers and can be implemented in the next Sprint.
Why are User Stories written at all? What do you have to pay attention to when writing them?
User Stories help Developers to understand what end users want and end users can easily communicate their wishes without having to have technical know-how. In this way, a common understanding is created. When writing, the three Cs should be followed and User Stories should meet the INVEST or CTF criteria.
Who writes User Stories?
User Stories are formulated from the user's point of view. They can be written by the user themself, by the Product Owner or jointly by the Product Owner and the Developers.
What does the acronym INVEST stand for?
- Independent
- Negotiable
- Valuable
- Estimable
- Small
- Testable
In what context do INVEST or CTF criteria apply?
INVEST or CTF criteria are important when it comes to the Definition of Ready. User Stories that are at the top of the Product Backlog must be "ready" for the Developers to start working on them. This means that the Developers must confirm that they have understood the User Stories and that the User Stories meet the INVEST or CTF criteria so that they can be implemented in the upcoming Sprint.
Please explain the three Cs of User Stories.
Card: The most important details of a User Story are recorded on a card. This includes the priority of the User Story, its acceptance criteria and also the amount of work required to implement a User Story, which was determined via estimation. Since a card only offers limited space, the User Story must be expressed straight to the point.
Conversation: A short and concise User Story should lead to a discussion between the Product Owner and the Developers. They should discuss the User Story in detail and everyone should understand the goal of the User Story.
Confirmation: Acceptance criteria must result from the discussion between the Product Owner and the Developers, and these criteria must be documented. The Product Owner accepts the implementation of the User Story as an Increment through corresponding acceptance tests.
What is a story point?
Story points represent the perceived workload and reflect the value of a User Story. Story points can be affected, for example, by uncertainties, by the amount and complexity of the work. They are neither monetary nor time-based, but are themselves the unit of measurement for estimating Product Backlog Items.
What is dispensed with in agile estimation and why?
Concrete predictions are not made (e.g. working hours). Rather, the aim is to determine relative quantities, i.e. the complexity of the individual entries is estimated in relation to each other. The relative effort quantities make it easier to adapt the release plans to changed boundary conditions that alter the velocity (development speed) and to assess the effects of the changes. The focus is placed on intentional imprecision, rather than exact numbers, and thus on non-linear number scales. In addition, the decision is made according to instinct.
What are the different ways of estimating?
Common methods of estimation are the Fibonacci sequence or dress sizes.